A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 196

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“…What?”
“Take that and go stomp it flat.”
Last time I saw him, his hand strikes were remarkably natural—the work of someone who’d done it more than once or twice.
‘Even our pathetic Ravi has never laid hands on anyone.’
Ravi had dragged me to the brink of death countless times and flew into rages at the drop of a hat, yet he’d never once resorted to violence.
Duke Sorpel and Ludvil were the same. No matter how much trouble I caused or how much I exasperated them, they never raised a hand against me.
“Would that bastard go around striking people elsewhere? Of course not. You can’t move an inch, so he’s intoxicated by his own strength, throwing his weight around without knowing his place.”
Even Arsian, notorious as the worst scoundrel under heaven, doesn’t throw punches without provocation.
‘It’s just that he’s always snarling and biting, so his ruffian image has become fixed.’
Looking at those who’d suffered Arsian’s wrath, they fell into one of two categories: they’d provoked him from the front or from behind.
Though “provoked” was putting it mildly—they were the type like Belac who spewed every word that came to mind, wise or foolish.
“Your older brother’s character is fundamentally broken. Where does hand-striking come into it?”
Gambling, violence, stupidity—he possessed every vice in equal measure. A human being so thoroughly corrupted that redemption seemed impossible.
‘I should have used a sharp heel instead of a flat sole back then.’
Sometimes a beating is the best medicine, after all.
But it’s not too late yet.
“Do you know what the most painful medicine in the world is?”
Watching Jewela, whose expression had grown somewhat vacant, Camilla broke into a light laugh and waved the gambling debt documents.
“Money.”
“…Money?”
Her eyes, which had been parroting my words blankly, grew wider and wider. Now she finally understood what I meant.
To her, Camilla added one final remark.
“Go beat him to your heart’s content.”
* * *
“Mantiz!”
Documents thrown by Count Bakes scattered throughout the room.
“What on earth are all these!”
“Dear, please calm down.”
“Calm down? Do I look calm to you! Look at these documents! He’s even coming to me for money! And the amounts are hardly trivial!”
“Mantiz must have his reasons. But if you press him like this, how can he help it? The boy’s so frightened he can barely speak.”
“Ugh.”
Count Bakes swallowed his anger with effort at his wife’s words.
But contrary to Countess Bakes’s assessment, Mantiz showed no fear whatsoever—his expression was utterly indifferent.
If anything, he cast an irritated glance at Count Bakes.
“Why are you so angry over something like that?”
“What?”
“That amount of money can be replenished easily enough.”
Mantiz couldn’t fathom why Count Bakes was even upset, and continued venting his complaints.
“Worthless vermin! As if that amount matters!”
How dare he go demanding repayment from Father?
It was absurd to him. At the same time, he was disappointed in his father for losing his temper like that.
Gambling meant sometimes winning and sometimes losing—wasn’t that how it worked? He could simply win several times over next time and make up for it.
“Yes, dear. Men gamble and do such things, don’t they?”
“Look at this amount! We’re at the point where I need to liquidate one of our businesses! What have you done with the fortune I left you? And you’ve taken on debts in the family name!”
“That is… well…”
Even Mantiz, shameless as he was, couldn’t properly answer that question. He was too busy avoiding Count Bakes’ gaze.
“What is it, Father? Does our household not have money?”
Kerin, who had been sitting to the side with an indifferent expression as though their quarrel were someone else’s affair, finally reacted.
“I told you I was getting clothes tailored at JL Shop. The clothes there are incredibly expensive. You’re not asking me to cancel, are you? I barely managed to get a reservation!”
At the sight of their daughter looking ready to burst into tears at any moment, Count Bakes and his wife hurried toward her.
“Don’t worry, dear. You can go and have whatever you like made.”
“That’s right. Our daughter wants it! There’s absolutely no problem.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
The two of them were busy consoling her, afraid their precious daughter’s feelings might be hurt.
“What exactly is Older Brother doing out there? He shouldn’t be causing me trouble like this.”
“Be quiet!”
“Mantiz, don’t raise your voice at your sister.”
“That’s right, son. She’s your only sister—you should get along well.”
As Countess Bakes soothed them both, she reproached her husband with her eyes. She was displeased with him for creating unnecessary discord over a trivial matter.
What was a mere gambling debt that he had to press the boy like this? He could simply pay it off however he saw fit.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, the door opened with a sound, and a figure stepped inside. It was Jewela.
With her entrance, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned cold.
Everyone made no effort to hide their discomfort, and Kerin even wore a sneer on her lips.
“Where have you been all this time?”
“I had quite a bit of work.”
“Work? What work?”
Count Bakes immediately furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue. How was it that she had not a single redeeming quality in his eyes?
“You should be building connections with the Duke Sorpel’s daughter…”
“I was just with Camilla.”
Ahem.
Suddenly at a loss for words, Count Bakes let out a series of hollow coughs.
Jewela’s gaze, which had been quietly observing him for a moment, slowly drifted downward.
She could see documents scattered here and there—not much different from the ones she had received from Camilla just moments before.
These must be the other debts Camilla had mentioned, then?
“Just how much gambling debt have you accumulated?”
At Jewela’s mention of the debt, everyone in the room frowned.
Mantiz in particular made no attempt to hide his anger. He stepped toward her and flicked his finger against her head repeatedly.
“What gives you the right to meddle?”
“I’m saying this out of concern. Older Brother’s debt isn’t just that, is it?”
“Ha.”
Mantiz let out an incredulous laugh, his grip growing rougher. Jewela’s body swayed under the force of his touch.
“So what business is it of yours, you who are nothing?”
Yet no one in that room moved to stop Mantiz’s actions.
Rather, they looked at Jewela with disdain, as if his words were justified. How dare she presume to lecture her older brother.
“How much longer are you going to keep this up?”
“What?”
“Jewela, how dare you! What is that supposed to mean? Such disrespect! Did I raise you this way? Apologize to Mantiz at once!”
Jewela gazed at her mother in silence for a moment. Whenever an argument broke out, her mother always sided with the other two—it was nothing new.
But why did her chest feel so heavy today?
Rather than anger, a bitter ache bloomed first.
“Just tell her to leave. We’re talking as a family anyway—why did she even come in here? She really has no sense.”
At Kerin’s words, still dripping with mockery, Jewela’s gaze slowly turned toward her.
It was something she heard every time, and she’d always let it pass lightly.
She’d consoled herself again and again that the girl was still young, that the fact they weren’t blood sisters was still a shock to that innocent child.
“Where did you two pick up something like this…!”
Crack!
Silence fell over the room in an instant.
Even Kerin, struck across the cheek by Jewela, couldn’t react for a long moment, her head still turned from the blow.
What had just happened?
“You… you…!”
After a long pause, Kerin turned back to Jewela, cradling her cheek. Tears were welling up in Kerin’s eyes.
‘In the past, I would have panicked immediately and tried to comfort Kerin.’
I would have said it was a mistake, that I was truly sorry, begging forgiveness and apologizing over and over until she calmed down.
But now…
“How disrespectful.”
Jewela returned her mother’s words to her exactly as they’d been spoken, her gaze colder than ever before.
Kerin flinched and trembled at the sight. Only then did she truly feel it—this was not the Jewela who always yielded to her.
“Jewela!”
Lady Bakes, finally coming to her senses, rushed over and shoved Jewela forcefully away from her daughter.
“Uh… uh… uwaaaaah!”
The moment her mother approached, Kerin burst into tears.
It was the first time in her life she’d been struck, and the fact that it was Jewela who’d done it felt both heartbreaking and shameful.
“What is this! You raised your hand against Kerin! How dare you! You, you!”
“Older Brother is always raising his hand against me.”
“That’s… that’s different!”
“When my mouth was cut from being hit by Older Brother, you told me then. You said, ‘Why were you so disrespectful to your superior?’ You said it was my fault. So I was disciplining Kerin too. She was just being disrespectful to me, her superior.”
“You, you…!”
“Where do you get off talking back!”
When Countess Bakes struggled to find her words, Count Bakes stepped forward urgently and shouted at Jewela with a vicious edge to his voice.
“You’re truly beyond redemption! Apologize to Kerin this instant!”
“Aaahhh!”
“She’s completely lost it today.”
“Aren’t you listening to Father? Apologize to Kerin right now!”
Jewela stood silent for a moment, observing the four people surrounding her.
A hollow laugh escaped her lips.
‘Is this all I’ve been protecting all this time?’
Was this pathetic result the reward for all my restraint and patience? What had I even been expecting?
What had I been enduring all this time for?
After laughing for a long while, she withdrew something from her embrace—a communication crystal.
It was already connected to somewhere, glowing brilliantly with its luminous light.
“Camilla.”
“Speak.”
The voice flowing from the communication crystal silenced the room instantly. Everyone’s confusion was plainly evident.
Count Bakes was no exception. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening at all.
Why had she connected the communication? And with none other than the young lady of the Sorpel Family?
If the communication had been connected from the very beginning… Could it be…?
“Wait, then she heard everything just now…!”
Camilla heard it all?
Even so, Count Bakes’ face drained of color as he recognized their mistake.
Given his current position of eagerly knocking on the doors of the Sorpel Family for trade with the Gracia Empire, this was an extremely awkward situation.
“Camilla, it seems I was right to listen to you.”
“……”
“You heard everything, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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